LEGO PARTY

Cameron turned 9 in February. 

 Life is so busy these days...I just couldn't figure out when to fit in a party, but he came home one day and told me he had been inviting people to his birthday party.  It's been three years since Cameron had a party with friends.  At birthday seven, he was too busy having a nervous breakdown.  At birthday 8, we were in a new town and he hadn't made any friends yet. 

I have been praying for years for Cameron to be able to have meaningful friendships.  The fact that he had been inviting kids was big.  I just could't let it go and not throw something together.  Then I found out my parents and brother and sister in law were going to be visiting us that weekend so we had extra help. It was fantastic.

I bought a rectangular shaped cupcake pan at the craft store and made little Lego cakes for everyone.

The kids built Lego vehicles and then designed booby traps to catch bad guys and carry them away.

I'm so glad we found a way to make this happen for him. I am so proud of how far he has come in the past year, and so happy for him to have successful friendships.  These things are TOTALLY worth celebrating!

MY LITTLE SQUARE PEG

Oh my little square peg...

 the almost nine year old boy who takes a stuffed frog with him everywhere he goes,

who pretends to bite the lights on the ceiling in Sunday School and says with such acceptance "It's just hard for me to make friends, I guess,"

 a boy who has struggled too too much in such a short life.

Two years ago we were still trying to fit you into a round hole-

trying to make "accommodations" for your beautiful, your spectacular angles.

How I have loved watching you thrive in the squarness of our new life. 

 You are gentle.

 You are brave...

 and imaginative

 and adventurous,

and joyful,

and capable,

 curious,

 and protective.

Thank you for teaching me about life.  In so many ways you are my hero and I love you.

A LETTER TO MY MOTHER

Dear Mother...

Today is the day you were born.  

And because of you, the world is a kinder, a sweeter place for all who know you.  Especially me.

 You have taught me about resilience and courage, compassion and determination. 

You listen to me. 

A lot. 

And I need it. 

You council me.

And I need that too.   

I wish we were closer...I wish our times together were longer...

I love you.

your daughter,

Rebecca

RULES FOR MOMS OF 2 YEAR OLDS

This is the fourth time I have had the pleasure of moming my way through the terrible/trying/terrific twos...

I had forgotten a lot of the rules...

*see picture below

1. Don't leave your makeup in plain sight
2.Get up before they do in the morning...just because it's quiet, doesn't mean they're still sleeping

3. Just because they gobbled it up yesterday, doesn't mean they'll eat it today

4.If they ask you a question at church, just answer it.  Telling them to "shh" will only result in them asking it louder and louder until you answer

5.  Nap time days are numbered...enjoy them while they last

6. Every day they will say something new...try to write some of it down, or you will forget

7.  You will not always be the center of their world...the person most beloved above all others...pick them up, smooch them, dance with them, nibble their little ears, sing songs, read stories, blow on their tummies, LISTEN when they try to tell you something even if you are already doing three things at the same time.

Anyone else remember some rules I have forgotten? Please share...I'd love to hear them...

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

while we have been away from blogger, our lives have been full and busy...

Kathryn Anne turned two.  We spent her second birthday with one last trip to see Grandma and Grandpa before they left for their mission.  Here she is clutching the Pooh and Minnie she got for her birthday.  Minnie she named "Sarah" for reasons only she could tell us...

Anne is a spunky, determined, affectionate and sensitive little soul.  She talks up a storm and says the best prayers I have ever heard.  For example, last night she thanked god for her bottle (baba-wee-wees as she calls it), her pajamas, Heather's pajamas, Cameron's pajamas, her pillow pet and Mommy's pajamas.

Heather turned five.  Here she puts the death grip on the ever requested and finally obtained "pillow pet."  Heather is a bright, imaginative, silly, girl with a fabulous sense of humor and deep need to nurture what ever she can get her hands on (usually stuffed animals and dolls).  She prays every night for help to "grow up into a righteous woman" which I only just learned from her means "have lots of babies."  If she had it her way I would have dozens more children for her to love.  She is a doting and (mostly) patient older sister who openly includes Anne in her imaginary world.  She has an imaginary friend named Sally.  Last week we had a sleep over with Sally's imaginary friend named Morgan.  This girl's imagination is on overdrive!

Kathryn Anne made her last trip to the hospital for bladder reflux.  She was tested and declared "reflux free!" Hooray!  

We had Cuh-razy fall weather that included a bunch of snow the week before Thanksgiving.  Anne was dying to get out in the snow the first morning that it a appeared and positively indignant when her hands touched it for the first time...like I had played some kind of cruel trick on her.  The kids and Evan built a giant snowman complete with the requisite carrot nose.

We had our first Thanksgiving with just us...Ev, the kids and Mom in the kitchen.  It was quiet and stress-less and delightful, actually.  The kids missed getting to see their cousins but Evan had to work that morning and that meant any kind of travel was out of the question.

Ewan started taking violin this year and played in his first Christmas show at the mall.  He was positively dashing up their with his decorated violin (for which he won the best decorated violin contest!)

We drove to Montana to spend the week of Christmas with my mom and dad.  It was perfect weather, perfect company, a perfectly wonderful Christmas.  We did a lot of sledding and little Anne was FEARLESS!

Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads on the night before Christmas!

It was a lovely magical morning with some very happy and grateful children.  We heard lots of "this is the best Christmas ever!"

Papa carrying on the tradition from his childhood of Christmas sugar cookies...

Nanny was covered in smoochies the whole week we were there. 

I feel so very blessed.  My life is full.  My heart is full.  My days are FULL.  My house is full. 

Even when my days are rough, as they often are...

I love my life.

PEAK INTO THE FUTURE!

At Disneyland, we found an age progression computer that gave you a guess as to what you'd look like as you aged...the three older kids did it and I thought it was FASCINATING...we'll have to see in the years to come how accurate it was!

 Heather in 20 years...I hope she still won't be wearing ribbons in her pig tails when she's 24!

 Ewan at 26.  He looks like Evan's brother Kirk to me in this picture.

Cameron at 28.  This one disturbs me because he looks so darn sad.  It's kind of creepy.  I should have redone it and made him smile!

DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We spent an amazing week at Disneyland this month.  It was our first time taking a real family vacation that involved simply playing together for days and days on end.  IT was SO FUN!

Nobody does family fun like Disney.  Nobody. It was a magical, musical, thrilling, exciting and nostalgic experience I am sure we will be talking about for a years to come. 

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa McAllister for the gift of a WONDERFUL place to stay!

Thank you Nanny and Papa for joining us and helping to wrangle our wild bunch of kids.  Five days later I'm still on a high from the whole thing!